Gender and caste discrimination linked to school dropouts in India: Experts

Sunday November 9, 2014 5:52 PM, ummid.com Staff Writer

Mumbai: Apart from various other known reasons like poverty and backwardness, gender and caste discrimination rampant in many of the Indian schools are reasons for rising school dropout rate, experts said in New Delhi Sunday.

[Dr. Shabistan Gaffar, President, All India Confederation for Women Empowerment Through Education, New Delhi, addressing the inuagural session of three day workshop.]

"There are schools in the country where students from backward classes are still not given equal status. This is the reason why they feel discriminated and hence discontinue their education in the middle", said Prof. Mohammad Akhtar Siddiqui Former Chairman, NCTE, New Delhi & Professor, Faculty of Education, Jamia Millia Islamia.

Prof Siddiqui was speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day National Workshop for Skill Upgradation in the capital Sunday. The workshop is organised by All India Confederation for Women Empowerment Through Education, New Delhi. More than hundred teachers from various states mainly Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradseh are participating in the workshop.

He cited the example of a school in Bhagalpur, Bihar where more than half of the total students decided to discontinue education.

"The parents of the students alleged that the teachers from Upper Caste discriminated against their children, and they did not give the needed attention towards them. Hence the students lost interest in schools and decided to discontinue education in the middle", he said.

He said tired of caste discrimination parents belonging to backward classes in many regions are demanding separate schools for their children.

He urged the teachers to end caste discrimination and asked them to improve their skill level.

"Like engineers and doctors, teachers too are required to continuously upgrade their skill", he said.

In her address, Dr. Anita Nuna Associate Professor, Department of Gender Studies, NCERT, too emphasized the need to end caste and gender discrimination in schools.

"What the country needs today is educated girls. But, unfortunately cases of gender discrimination is prevalent in some of our schools. This is whey school dropout rates for girls is uncontrolled in the country", she said.

She urged the teachers to provide students healthy environment free from all evils and discrimination so that dropout rate is checked.

Dr. Shabistan Gaffar, President, All India Confederation for Women Empowerment Through Education, in her address explained the motives and objectives of the workshop and also shared the activities of the organisation.

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